Square Eugène Varlin, Garden square in the 10th arrondissement, Paris
Square Eugène Varlin is a small garden square in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, in the Hôpital-Saint-Louis neighborhood, close to the Canal Saint-Martin. It has grassy areas, trees, flower beds, paved paths, and a ping-pong table used by both children and adults.
The area was shaped by the construction of the Canal Saint-Martin in the early 19th century, when Napoleon sought to improve the water supply and boat traffic in Paris. The square itself was later named after Eugène Varlin, a trade union leader and Communard who was executed in 1871.
The Square Eugène Varlin takes its name from a 19th-century worker and trade unionist who was well known in this part of Paris. At the entrance, a small plaque honors Charles Dupas, a Resistance fighter who died in August 1944 at the age of 29.
The square is within walking distance of Château-Landon metro station on line 7 and is open at all hours. It sits close to the Canal Saint-Martin, so combining both into a single walk along the water is easy to do.
A small bridge separates this garden from the neighboring Square Henri-Christiné, and from it you can look straight down at one of the Canal Saint-Martin locks. Watching a boat wait as the water level slowly rises or falls is one of those small moments that most visitors do not expect to find here.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
